Suspected US drone kills at least 9 in Pakistan

Second drone attack seen Pakistan after a month's break.

Drone attacks in Pakistan, such as the one that killed Badar Mansoor on Thursday, have fallen sharply since November after an airstrike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, leading to a breakdown in relations between the US and Pakistan. (AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)

Pakistani officials said a believed US drone shot two missiles into a compound North Waziristan today, killing at least nine suspected militants, reported Reuters.

Today's attack reportedly took place in the Shawal tribal district near the Afghan border, an area the US believes serves as a base Taliban and Al-Qaeda activity, said Agence-France Press.

American officials rarely comment on reports of suspected US drone strikes in Pakistan.

US President Barack Obama, however, has voiced support for the disputed program, arguing that a "pinpoint strike" is "less intrusive," reported CNN.

The US temporarily suspended the attacks in Pakistan after a US assault mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani troops last November, a high-profile incident that strained ties between the two countries, reported the LA Times.

The US drone program, the November attack, and the US-led raid that last year captured wanted terrorist leader Osama bin Laden -- which American officials did not inform Pakistan about until after it had been completed -- have all led to the souring of US-Pakistan relations in recent months.